Pinsent Masons has appointed Singapore partner and Asia head Ian Laing as the firm's global head of infrastructure.

Laing will continue to be based in Singapore and is Pinsent Masons' first-ever global sector head based in Asia.

He succeeds London-based Richard Laudy, who will now focus on expanding the U.K. firm's Africa practice. During Laudy's tenure, Pinsent Masons, which is best known for its construction and infrastructure practices, launched an infrastructure-focused practice in Australia with offices in Melbourne and Sydney in 2015 and in Perth in 2017, as well as in South Africa with an office in Johannesburg in 2016.

Laing specialises in capital projects, particularly those related to transportation, water and accommodation, in Europe, Africa and Asia. Earlier this year, he advised China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. as the lead contractor on the East Coast Rail Link – an $11 billion, 640-kilometre rail project in Malaysia that is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. The project resumed construction in April after a year-long suspension.

"The infrastructure sector is rapidly evolving and Ian is an excellent choice to ensure we continue to stay ahead of that," Richard Foley, Pinsent Masons' London-based global senior partner, said in a statement.

"Increasing legal, regulatory and political complexity and risks are challenging clients in this sector," he continued. "As a result, our clients continue to demand more than pure legal expertise… [so] we are deploying frequently a wider range of professional skillsets and technologies, which are complementary to sector and legal experience."

In October, Pinsent Masons launched a project management division – a nonlegal service – to support delivery of matters globally on time and on budget.

|

Related stories:

Pinsent Masons Launches Project Management Arm